Maybe not so young after all
by unknownhand
Summary: A slight difference in the Vol 2 fight between the Runaways and Ultron ends up with Victor looking at Molly in a different light. Staying true to Molly as innocent kid and Victor as basically a good guy.
1. Chapter 1

vol 2 issue 5

Just like in the comic the team goes to the warehouse to rescue Victor's mom from Ultron's Doombot that they think is Doctor Doom. "Doom" has stunned Nico ending the invisibility spell she'd put on everyone but Victor la Mancha, shocked Old Lace and through there psychic link Gert.

Events diverge after la Mancha attacks Doom when the Doombot backhands him down instead of picking him up by the throat, this gives Doom time to turn and catch Molly sneaking up on him.

Doom grabs a fist-full of Molly's shirt collar and lifts her off the ground. She grumbles "So much for distraction" as she punches Doom in the face with her super strength. His head rocks back a little but he is otherwise unaffected,

Molly rubs her bruised knuckles "Ouch."

"Enjoy your final breath you miserable dwarfling."

Molly knowing she's in trouble she bends her knees and bends and the waist then kicks as hard as she can with both feet against his chest.

Karolina untying Victor's mom's feet has just turned and started to yell "Put her down!" when she hears a ripping noise and sees Molly go flying across the warehouse hitting a side wall and falling to the floor. "MOLLY!" she screams as the blonde alien blast Von Doom with her light energy.

Victor la Mancha also saw Molly fly into the wall at frightening speed he tries to run past what he thinks is his father and the Doom bot is able to deflect part of Karolina's blast to stun the teams newest member.

Karolina has already started to turn towards Molly, Von Doom tosses down the cloth in his hand, gloats "Your marksmanship needs improvement harlot" and shoots her in the back with his own energy beams causing her to drop to the floor.

Chase rushes in with a laser cannon from the leapfrog that he tosses to Victor la Mancha who uses it to blast a hole in dooms chest. Gert realizes that Dr Doom is an android.

Then Ulton, Victor's true father reveals himself. Ultron incinerates Victor's mom and takes control of Victor la Mancha's software turning him against his friends. Victor breaks free of the control and Nico traps Ultron in a giant diamond. Molly is sound asleep where she landed earlier but the rest of the team is on there feet when Ultron shatters the diamond freeing himself.

Nico orders Karolina to send a signal blast through the roof. The Excelsiors team(that have been trying to force the Runaways to be normal kids instead of super-heroes-which would also force the team to go there separate ways) sees the blast and drop through the ceiling, shocked to see Ultron they attack the android immediately.

Victor wants revenge against Ultron for the death of his mother but is the closest to where Molly is laying. He rushes to Molly and nearly stumbles as he sees that a few inch wide strip is missing down the middle of her shirt starting at the collar and running nearly to her waist. Victor doesn't stop to think that Molly's shirt ripped when she kicked herself away from the Doombot's grip. Victor sees Molly laying turned partially on her left side so that the left side of her shirt has fallen away revealing her left breast completely as her right nipple peaks out from under the cloth.

Victor has never thought about Molly in a sexual way, a minute before it would have seemed impossible to think of "little Molly" that way. Now Victor was standing there seeing a girl's breast for the first time. Sure he'd looked at porn before but not being a jock, having an overprotective mom and being a super-hero fanboy doesn't exactly get you girls. He started moving again quickly still looking at her breast as he took his jacket off then wrapped it around her. He felt dirty for looking at a girl that wasn't even twelve yet the way he'd just looked at Molly but at the same time couldn't deny having enjoyed seeing her bare chest. He carried her in his arms as he rushed back to his fellow Runaways.

They then snuck out and to the Leapfrog to make there getaway. He mentioned to Nico that Molly's shirt had gotten ripped and that she should keep the jacket on when she woke up.


	2. Chapter 2

After Ultron it took a while to get used to my new life. It still hurts when I think about my mom but somehow it doesn't really freak me out that I'm part robot now.

I was able to delete the evil programming Ulton had implanted in me. I hoped that I would stop having these thoughts about Molly after that but it didn't happen. Ever since that day in the warehouse when I accidentally saw her bare breast I've looked at her differently, I'm not in love with her but I don't think of her as a little kid either.

She definitely has a nice butt and even though her boobs are small they are nice and I'm sure they'll only get better over the next few years. Karolina and Nico are very hot but they're also a lot quicker to notice if i'm checking one of them out. Molly doesn't seem to think about it so it's safer. Molly is also fun to hang out with, she's funny and full of energy. She also seems to accept me more then the others do.

Molly didn't run it into the ground but at least once a week she'd make some reference to costumes. This time was shortly after we'd gotten back to the Hostel from beating Tarantula. She Chase and I were watching tv together. He rolled his eyes and left the room which I have to admit I didn't really mind.

She'd been hoping the others would change there mind and that everyone would get a costume, it's not going to happen but she doesn't give up hope.

"I don't know Molly, yeah there are some cool super-hero costumes but I don't want to ware spandex and it's not like we have a lot of budget for that kind of stuff."

"Vic, it doesn't have to be spandex or expensive. I made a costume when we first got started."

"You did? What happened to it?"

"I still have it but with nobody else wearing one.." she frowned.

I was kinda curious and didn't want to seem like I was making fun of her idea "What did you make it out of?"

"You wanna see?" She said brightening up.

"Sure go put it on."

"Ok, don't leave I'll be right back." She ran off smiling.

I had no idea what to expect.

"The boots are kinda tight now, I'd definitely need new ones." She walked in and I was pretty sure she'd had a growth spurt since originally wearing the costume.

She had a black Robin/Zorro make on a black t-shirt with the word security across the front. Yeah the shirt was a little small for her but she was excited about wearing her costume and didn't notice that it hugged her chest. A thick black belt, a red skirt that was longer then what Supergirl usually wore in the comics but not to long. Yellow gloves blue boots and a tattered makeshift blue cape.

"Cool, you did a good job working with what you had."

"You really think so?"

I think she misread me feeling a little awkward at her clingy t-shirt as me maybe not liking the costume.

"Yes I like it." I said with a smile. "It's not THE greatest costume of all time but you did a good job."

"Thanks!" She hopped up sitting on the back of the couch to pull the uncomfortable boots off then leaned back and turned so that she flopped down on her back on the couch. I only had to turn my neck a little to get a quick look up her skirt as she freefell. Her legs are still thin but the view I got of the inside of her upper thighs and of the front of her panties(white with little flowers) removed most of the hope I had that thinking of her sexually was just a phase that would end soon.

By the time I'd walked around to sit on the couch she was sitting up again.

"So what would your costume look like?"

"I don't know Mol, I don't have a code name or anything so I don't even know what I'd start with. I'm not really in a hurry to start with costumes to be honest with you."

She was a little disappointed but was happy that she'd gotten to ware her costume.

"So do you have a Princess Powerful logo? You know that you could put on your next costume?"

"No, I hadn't really thought about that. Thanks for not calling me Bruiser."

"Hey Victor it's your turn to wash dishes." Nico's voice from the kitchen.

Molly giggled again "Better go before you get grounded."

"See you later Molly, thanks for showing me your costume."


	3. Chapter 3

Victor is sitting at a computer and calls "Hey Molly, you got a minute?"

"What's up?" She walks over with a smile. He couldn't help but think about how cute she was.

"I was bored and started thinking about our conversation about costumes earlier so I decided to look up the best superhero costumes. Real and comic book."

"Cool" She stands beside him looking at the screen as Vic clicks a link.

"Black Cat? Her costume is boring, why is she on a best costume list?" Molly looking at the screen didn't notice that Victor couldn't help but grin. He glanced at the low cut top and didn't agree with Molly's opinion that it was boring. They were judging based on different standards though.

"It's just whoever did this page's opinion. Do you like any of Storm's outfits?"

"Yeah some of them are cool, I like that one." Molly tapped a picture of Storm in a mostly black costume with a cape that showed a lot of skin. He couldn't help but think about Molly wearing something like that, then felt bad for thinking about her that way-even though it had been happening a lot lately.

They switched between a couple of websites with Molly mostly liking the more colorful outfits. "So does this mean you think costumes are cool too?" Molly said it with a gottcha grin like she'd caught him.

Victor paused deciding to be careful how he worded his answer. "I think some of them are cool but that doesn't mean I want to start wearing one."

"Not even ever?"

"I didn't say never, maybe one day but I don't know what it would look like." Molly seemed to take that as a small victory. Victor spent a couple seconds glancing at her butt, the cloth shorts she had on hugged it really nicely, then forced his gaze back to the screen. "What would your costume look like Mol?"

"I dunno, I come up with a bunch of ideas but I haven't really decided. I like her costume" pointing at Spider Woman "not for me but it's cool."

Victor started to stand up "You can sit down Molly, I didn't think to grab another chair."

"It's ok, you sit down." He obeyed then was surprised when she sat on his left thy. Vic affectionately put the palm of his left hand on her back as he moved the mouse with his right. The next website had fictional superheroes and villains resulting in Molly getting excited when she saw Harley Quinn. "That's really cool I like that one." She absentmindedly adjusted getting more comfortable and Vic's eyes got big for a second when she straddled his thy-luckily her back was to him-but he recovered his composer, for the most part, pretty quickly. "Why is Buffy on here, she doesn't even wear a costume?" Vic didn't have a good answer for that.

The next page had a mix of guys and girls resulting in Molly complaining about Daredevil and Black Bolt's costumes being boring and rated to high. "Spiderman's costume is cool." Vic agreed but got an eyeroll when he said he liked Spidey's black costume also.

Molly leaned forward a little and Vic couldn't think about anything except how there were only 3 thin layers of cloth between his skin and between her thighs. Then the memory of the view he'd gotten of Molly's panties up her skirt he'd gotten a couple days before filled his mind. Thank God she hadn't sat in his lap or she'd know the kind of things he was thinking about, even if she didn't realize the thoughts were about her.

Trying to act natural and maybe reign in his thoughts he ask what she thought about the costumes from Watchmen. "I never watched it, it looked kinda weird."

"It was awesome, they changed some stuff from the comics but the movie is still great. Alan Moore is a genius…"

"Victor, your one of my best friends, but you're really being a geek." She started the sentence stern enough to get his attention but gave him a little smile when she saw that he wasn't going to keep going fanboy on her.

Victor had gone back to the search results to find more costumes and Molly giggled. She pointed at a page that's heading said Top 10 Skimpiest female superhero costumes. "I see what you were looking at."

He could tell she was picking at him but he pointed at the search bar where he'd typed Best Superhero Costumes. "Not guilty. You're curious about that page now aren't you Molly?"

"Not as curious as you are. We can look if it'll make you happy." Victor clicked the link knowing he was in a no win situation weather he clicked it or not. "She-Hulk, her costumes not bad. I kinda like Supergirl's outfit."

"That makes sense, your costume had a skirt and cape."

Molly smiled then said "My shirt was bigger though."

"That's true, so do you think her costume is to skimpy?"

"No, it's cool. Nico and Lina wear stuff like that. I don't think Nico would wear those colors but there's nothing wrong with her outfit." "I don't even know who those two are." Vic started to explain the DC character's histories then caught himself. "She looks naked but I guess she's like Mr Human Torch." Vic agreed that she probably wasn't really naked. Vic scrolled down a little showing Tigra and Shanna as 6 and 5. "How the crap do they fight bad guys in bikinis?"

"Um I don't know, it doesn't seem like a good idea." Molly was looking up at him a little nervous. "Don't worry I won't tell Chase or Nico or Karolina that you said crap, don't worry about it."

"Thanks Vic" She leaned back against his chest and he carefully put his left arm around her and gave her a mini-hug, then she leaned forward again looking at the pictures. 4 was Red Sonja in a chainmail bikini and Witchblade wearing less at 3. "If that's number 3 I think I'm ok not knowing what the number one wears."

"No problem." Vic backed out of that website. "Do you have a Princess Powerful logo?"

Molly's eyes brightened "I hadn't thought about that! A costume with my own symbol, hehe there's like a thousand X-Men and they have to share, someday I'm going to have a symbol that's just mine."

They heard Nico's voice from the kitchen. "Victor, it's your turn to wash dishes!" Followed by Chase "Is circuit-boy waterproof, I don't want him shorting the place out while I'm watching tv."

Molly hopped up "You better go, I don't want you to get grounded. And Vic, thanks for not calling me Bruiser."

He thought about hugging her but decided to just flop on of the cloth eyestalks dangling off her hat so that it landed on top of her head. "You're welcome, I had fun hanging out with you."

"Me too." She darted off toward her room with a brain full of thoughts that he couldn't even guess at.


	4. Karolina leaves & Molly grounded

Vol2 Issue 8 Epilogue

This has been one of the weirdest days of my life. Considering that I'm an android that lives under the La Brea Tar Pits with a team of teenage superheros, that's saying something. Molly and I went grocery shopping and even though we're broke I let her cute and sweet me into buying her some chocolate sugar bomb cereal that was a big deal to her. It was cool to get to do something nice for her but I can't let her wrap me around her little finger.

Not that she'll get to enjoy the cereal, it got blown up while we were fighting a Skrull named Xavin. That's what is really on my mind, on all of our minds. Karolina is gone. She decided to leave with Xavin to end a war that their parents are responsible for.

Now what?

Everyone was quiet on the ride home. Now that we're here it looks like everyone is splintering off to be alone. Well except Chase and Gert, it looks like they're going for a walk. We were all in shock. I feel like a rug has been pulled out from under me. The others that have known Karolina so much longer must really be upset. After standing around awkwardly for a while I decide to check on Molly.

She's sitting on her bed, she must have been looking at photos a few minutes ago but there on the floor now. I walk over and sit next to her neither one of us say anything for a while.

I finally just put my hand on her back and as "Are you ok?"

She shrugs.

I've never seen Molly like this, no wise-cracks or teasing, no questions none of her usual high energy.

I put my arm around her and she leans against me.

"It's not fair."

"I know Molly, it's not."

I spend maybe half an hour holding her as she alternates from angry to sad to confused it random orders. Finally I decide she'll be ok. She squeezes my arm and says "Thank you"

Now I go to my room wondering what this means for all of us.

Vol 2 Issues 13-14

Life's been busy since Karolina left. Meeting Cloak, the trip to New York to help clear his name, spending more time with Molly. She's been on room arrest lately after disappearing during one of our fights. I tell myself I've been visiting her because I feel bad for her being stuck by herself. Of course I doubt my own motives.

Nobody else visit's her room to notice or say anything about me being in there. Not that we're doing anything, just talking and goofing off. Luckily for me she's not big on playing board games with just two players or I'd be getting my butt kicked at games I'd rather not be playing.

Today she was out of her room helping me repair Leap Frog but Nico banished said that Mol was still grounded then Nico chewed Chase out, which he probably deserved. After Gert told me who Alex Wilder was and some of the group and their parents history I went to visit Molly again.

"Can I come in?"

"Sure Vic, what's up?"

She's sitting in the middle of her bed her Goop plush beside her, she's still in the same shirt, jeans and odd headband she was wearing earlier.

"I'm sorry Nico came down so hard on you. I appreciate the help earlier."

She shrugs "You're welcome, any idea how much longer I'm going to be in trouble."

I sit on the bed leaving a gap between us, this has become pretty normal. "Sorry, no clue. If it makes any difference I believe you about the sewer and helping the other kids escape."

"For reals?" She smiles and it makes me feel good that I can cheer her up a little.

"I'll be honest at first I wasn't sure it seems like a weird story, but yeah I believe you. You're not a lier and it wouldn't make sense to stick to the story after you got in trouble. Plus when people lie about something they can't keep it straight. I don't have any doubt that what you said really happened. I told Nico that a couple days ago but it didn't help" I pat her knee.

"It really bugs you when Chase calls you Victorious huh?" she ask.

"Yeah, that's not who I am. We know who I could have become." I'm not sure how to finish that statement, poor Molly saw the future Gert that Ultron's programming was going to make me kill.

"You're not a bad guy Vic. You know I'm not scared of you."

I smile and nod remembering the conversation we had back when we were grocery shopping.

"Thanks Molly that would really hurt if you looked at me like that. I wish Chase would let it go, I don't know who I'm going to grow up to be but it's not what Ultron wanted to make me." I decide to make the conversation less serious and less about me.

I decide to be silly and go for a smile "I get called that name and you get called Bruiser when you're obviously the one and only Princess Powerful."

She flexes her muscles and her smile and head nod seem to say "yeah I'm cool" then she giggles. "Yeah, the Bruiser thing is really annoying. But I have a real code name you still need one."

"I should have seen that coming" I say as I shake my head. "I know you suggested Magnet Man earlier but that's a little to close to Magneto."

She waits not letting me off the code-name hook. "You're way ahead of me, you've got a code-name and a costume. I'll start catching up eventually." I kinda hope she'll decide to model her old costume for me again but it doesn't seem to cross her mind.

She grins and pats my arm like I'm a little kid (kind of like she did when we were about to leave NYC to come back home)"It's ok, when you get old enough you'll figure out who you're going to be."

"I've gotten a few things figured out just not costumes and code-names Princess. That reminds me have you thought of a Princess Powerful logo?"

"No I've tried a couple times but nothing I like yet."

"It's getting late, I guess I should go."

She raises up on her knees and gives me a little hug. I smile and kiss her on top of the head, I'm not even sure she notices. "Night Victor"

"Good night Molly."


	5. Chapter 5

Victor  
>Just got out of the shower and got done letting off a little tension while thinking about Karolina. The last week or more I've been making myself think about Ms Marvel, Emma Frost and sometimes Nico and Karolina during private time. Anybody my age or older to try to get my mind off of Molly. Maybe, I just need to give it more time.<p>

After getting dried off and dressed.

Victor.  
>"Molly, can I ask you something?"<p>

"Sure Vic what's up?" If she noticed anything in my tone of voice I can't tell.

"Just wondering about some comments you've made lately. I've noticed you're calling me stuff like Kid-Ultron and Victron and robotboy. It just made me curious if you're just kidding or if that's still how you see me or what's going on?"

She doesn't immediately answer maybe thinking, maybe trying to read me and figure out what I'm thinking. Of course it's Molly so she could be thinking about Dazzler's newest song.

I decide to explain a little more or maybe to influence. "I know Chase is basically your big brother but you're my favorite person on the team to hang out with. I hope you know I care about you even though we aren't family." Defenatly don't want her to think of me as a sibling.

"Yeah, I know. I trust you and I know you're not going to be Ultron or Victorious when you get older. Sorry if I hurt you're feelings Vic" she looks at me, she may think I'm being to sensitive "you know I don't care that you weren't like actually born." She pauses and I nod and give her a little smile. "You and Leap Frog are two of my best friends and you're both machines."

I'm not thrilled at being put in the same friend category with Leap Frog but I don't say anything.  
>"I'm a mutant, Karolina and Xavin are aliens what difference does you being a robot make. I guess I have been making jokes about it." She seems to get why it bothers me for the first time, well not all of why but I can tell she regrets not thinking about how it came across.<p>

"You really are one of my best friends Vic." She pauses.

"Thanks, Molly that means a lot."

"So we're coolio?"

"Yeah, we're cool. I just wanted to make sure there wasn't any kind of problem or that you weren't upset at me."

"Nopes. You don't think of yourself as family?"

"Well you, Karolina, Chase, Gert, Nico have known each other forever. You grew up with them and I like I said Chase is your big brother right?"

She nodded agreement.

"Chase is my friend and I'd risk my life for him but we aren't brothers. I never saw you as the little kid the others remember you being. "

This seems to make sense to her.

"Chase doesn't see the other original team members as siblings or he couldn't have dated Gert." I say with a little bit of a laugh, hoping it doesn't sound forced.

Molly makes a little bit of a sour face "Yeah, that makes sense."

"So you're not my sister but I couldn't care about you more than I do even if you were." I hope it wasn't to blatant saying that right after I talked about team members dating.

She walks over and gives me a hug "I care about you too Victron." We hug for a few seconds and as she lets go she says "I'll always be there to rescue you I promise."

Not what I expected but sweet in that unique Molly way.


End file.
